Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, April 30
Oestrike Stadium
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
5
vs
4
Ball State
Steve Weber
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Late EMU Comeback Steals One From Cardinals, 5-4
4/30/2011 7:25:07 PM | Baseball
The Eagles scored four runs in the eighth to complete a comeback victory, their eighth straight win overall.
Box score
Re-Listen to the Game
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – A four-run eighth inning paced the Eastern Michigan University baseball team to its eighth straight win as it posted a 5-4 victory over Ball State University in game two of a three-game set at Oestrike Stadium, today, April 30.
The EMU offense got off to a slow start much to the credit of Ball State starting pitcher, Morgan Coombs, but a successful suicide squeeze play by Sam Ott (Canton, Mich.-Salem) pushed the go-ahead run across amidst a four-run eighth to win it for the Eagles.
Coombs allowed four runs (3 earned) on eight hits over seven strong innings, but settled for the no-decision while EMU right-hander Steve Weber (North Royalton, Ohio-North Royalton) earned the win after striking out seven over 6.2 innings in relief of starter Corey Chaffins (New London, Ohio-New London), who lasted just an inning and a third.
Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) turned in another multi-hit day, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to stretch his hit streak to nine games and streak of reaching base to 18 straight. BSU's Cody Elliott led all hitters with a 3-for-4 effort with a run scored and an RBI.
The Eagles improve to 27-15 overall, 11-6 in the MAC with the win while the Cardinals fall to 12-27 (8-8 MAC) with the loss. It's the best start since 1982 for the Green and White which have won eight straight and nine of the last 11 overall.
Chaffins had a start he would soon like to forget after allowing three runs over an inning and a third. Ball State played small ball early on and got its first run in the first inning on an RBI groundout by Kevin Franchetti.
In the second inning, the Cardinals pushed across two more runs to make it 3-0 and then loaded the bases shortly thereafter with just one out gone in the frame.
It was evident Chaffins didn't have his good stuff and Head Coach Jay Alexander was quick to make the switch as he brought in the right-hander Weber. The sophomore came in and bailed Chaffins out with two strikeouts to end the bases-loaded threat.
The Eagles went down quietly in the first two innings, but put together a scoring frame in the third as Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) drove in the team's first run with a sacrifice fly to right field. As a result, EMU still had runners on the corners and Leonard at the plate.
BSU starter Coombs rose up to the challenge, however, and struck Leonard out with a tantalizing slider that got the senior chasing it out of the zone.
Cardinals added a run in the sixth on a Franchetti RBI double that fell just in front of Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) as he gave chase towards the right field line. It scored Sean Godfrey and gave BSU a commanding 4-1 lead.
The Eagles inched a little closer on Leonard's RBI double that never left the infield. A hot shot down the third base line ricocheted off Stephen Claypool's glove and got away from him, allowing Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) to score from third and Leonard to take second base.
With Ball State still leading, 4-2, the next batter Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.) belted one to deep center to bring home Magsig on the sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one run.
Matt Hitt (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers-Kishwaukee C.C.) then tied the score with a base hit to right field that scored Magsig to make it 4-4. The next hitter, Lee Longo (Mayfield, Ohio-Mayfield), reached on one-of-four Cardinal errors on the day to put two on with one out. That forced Head Coach Alex Marconi to bring in Devin Wilburn in relief of Michael Sandman.
The next EMU batter, Ott, took the 1-1 pitch from Wilburn and placed a perfect suicide squeeze attempt past the pitcher to score the pinch-runner Wally Gerbus (Fairfield, Ohio-Stephen T. Baden) from third base to give EMU a 5-4 lead it would not relinquish.
Reliever Kristian Calibuso (Brandon, Fla.-Armwood-Florida State College-Jacksonville) made it an interesting ninth as he walked three batters, but finished off the comeback in dramatic fashion as he froze BSU's Blake Beemer on strike three of a full count with two outs for his fourth save of the season.
The Eagles will seek the series sweep as both teams meet for the finale, tomorrow, May 1, at Oestrike Stadium. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
Re-Listen to the Game
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – A four-run eighth inning paced the Eastern Michigan University baseball team to its eighth straight win as it posted a 5-4 victory over Ball State University in game two of a three-game set at Oestrike Stadium, today, April 30.
The EMU offense got off to a slow start much to the credit of Ball State starting pitcher, Morgan Coombs, but a successful suicide squeeze play by Sam Ott (Canton, Mich.-Salem) pushed the go-ahead run across amidst a four-run eighth to win it for the Eagles.
Coombs allowed four runs (3 earned) on eight hits over seven strong innings, but settled for the no-decision while EMU right-hander Steve Weber (North Royalton, Ohio-North Royalton) earned the win after striking out seven over 6.2 innings in relief of starter Corey Chaffins (New London, Ohio-New London), who lasted just an inning and a third.
Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) turned in another multi-hit day, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to stretch his hit streak to nine games and streak of reaching base to 18 straight. BSU's Cody Elliott led all hitters with a 3-for-4 effort with a run scored and an RBI.
The Eagles improve to 27-15 overall, 11-6 in the MAC with the win while the Cardinals fall to 12-27 (8-8 MAC) with the loss. It's the best start since 1982 for the Green and White which have won eight straight and nine of the last 11 overall.
Chaffins had a start he would soon like to forget after allowing three runs over an inning and a third. Ball State played small ball early on and got its first run in the first inning on an RBI groundout by Kevin Franchetti.
In the second inning, the Cardinals pushed across two more runs to make it 3-0 and then loaded the bases shortly thereafter with just one out gone in the frame.
It was evident Chaffins didn't have his good stuff and Head Coach Jay Alexander was quick to make the switch as he brought in the right-hander Weber. The sophomore came in and bailed Chaffins out with two strikeouts to end the bases-loaded threat.
The Eagles went down quietly in the first two innings, but put together a scoring frame in the third as Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) drove in the team's first run with a sacrifice fly to right field. As a result, EMU still had runners on the corners and Leonard at the plate.
BSU starter Coombs rose up to the challenge, however, and struck Leonard out with a tantalizing slider that got the senior chasing it out of the zone.
Cardinals added a run in the sixth on a Franchetti RBI double that fell just in front of Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) as he gave chase towards the right field line. It scored Sean Godfrey and gave BSU a commanding 4-1 lead.
The Eagles inched a little closer on Leonard's RBI double that never left the infield. A hot shot down the third base line ricocheted off Stephen Claypool's glove and got away from him, allowing Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) to score from third and Leonard to take second base.
With Ball State still leading, 4-2, the next batter Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.) belted one to deep center to bring home Magsig on the sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one run.
Matt Hitt (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers-Kishwaukee C.C.) then tied the score with a base hit to right field that scored Magsig to make it 4-4. The next hitter, Lee Longo (Mayfield, Ohio-Mayfield), reached on one-of-four Cardinal errors on the day to put two on with one out. That forced Head Coach Alex Marconi to bring in Devin Wilburn in relief of Michael Sandman.
The next EMU batter, Ott, took the 1-1 pitch from Wilburn and placed a perfect suicide squeeze attempt past the pitcher to score the pinch-runner Wally Gerbus (Fairfield, Ohio-Stephen T. Baden) from third base to give EMU a 5-4 lead it would not relinquish.
Reliever Kristian Calibuso (Brandon, Fla.-Armwood-Florida State College-Jacksonville) made it an interesting ninth as he walked three batters, but finished off the comeback in dramatic fashion as he froze BSU's Blake Beemer on strike three of a full count with two outs for his fourth save of the season.
The Eagles will seek the series sweep as both teams meet for the finale, tomorrow, May 1, at Oestrike Stadium. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
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